EIGHT-year-old Bindi Irwin was greeted with screams of support tonight as she honoured a commitment made by her father.

The daughter of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin attended tonight's Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards in Sydney, making her first public appearance since her father's memorial service on September 20.

At that service, Bindi Irwin pledged to continue the wildlife work of her father, who was killed by a stingray barb to the chest while filming footage for his daughter's TV series on the Great Barrier Reef on September 4.

Steve Irwin had earlier agreed to attend tonight's awards ceremony so his daughter could mix with her favourite television and music stars.

Instead, Bindi flew into Sydney from the Sunshine Coast accompanied by her mother, Terri Irwin, and said she was excited to be presenting an award.

Dressed in her father's trademark khaki, Bindi attracted the biggest scream from the crowd outside the Sydney Entertainment Centre and happily posed for photos.

I'm feeling pretty good, she said.

It's kind of sad that he couldn't be here but it's nice that I could do it.

She was going to attend this event with her dad. She instead went and presented the award in his place. What an honor for her!

Should she just stay in her house moping about her misfortune? I'm sure Steve Irwin, as full of life as he was, would not want his family to seclude themselves from what was and still is their very public life.

It's good for the living to keep on living, even in the face of personal loss.

"Poor child. Trotted out like this so soon after her father's death. Scandalous."

Maybe her mother perceived it as a pleasant distraction for her. My father died suddenly when I was nine and, although it must have been hard for her, my mother tried to keep things fairly bright and upbeat for me.

Would you prefer her to sit at home and weep for her father. There is something I have noticed about children over the yrs. God has blessed them with a short memory span. They go from one subject matter to another in a short time.

When I use to discipline my children, with-en an hour they would be around my neck loving me.

I have also observed in grown ups when there is a death close to them, the ones who get over it the fastest are the ones who get and get busy doing something to occupy their minds.

TWO months ago, it was booked to be a fun night out for a loving father and his bubbly young daughter.

But tonight, Bindi Irwin will bravely honour a commitment made by her late dad Steve, which he had planned as a treat for his treasured child.

The eight-year-old and her mother Terri will make the emotional journey to Sydney for the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards, where they will present the night's top prize.

Steve Irwin agreed to attend the fun awards night so his daughter could meet her favourite TV and pop stars.

But following his tragic death last month, after a stingray attack, the Irwins agreed to honour the commitment - and the Crocodile Hunter in the process.

"(Bindi) was so excited to be going to Sydney for the awards with her daddy," said the family's manager John Stainton yesterday.

"When tragedy struck and the dust settled, I asked Terri if she'd consider doing it in Steve's honour and they both agreed."

Stainton said the international wildlife star would never have agreed to fly to Sydney if not "for Bindi's sake"."It was going to be an amazing night for them both. But now they'll go in honour of him," he said.

It is the family's first public appearance since the tearful memorial at Australia Zoo, where Bindi spoke of her "hero" father and commitment to living his dreams.

Bindi and her mother will walk the red carpet, alongside guest stars such as Ian Thorpe, Guy Sebastian and Anthony Callea.

The Irwins' young son Bob is expected to stay with family in Queensland while his mother and sister fly to Sydney this morning.

The awards, to be hosted by pop star Sophie Monk, is hugely popular with kids, who vote for their favourite celebs in TV, music and sport.

11
posted on 10/11/2006 5:54:32 AM PDT
by mom4kittys
(If velvet could sing, it would sound like Josh Groban)

If you were fortunate enough to see this little girl holding a baby croc while working with her father, you'd see that he taught her to "come to the plate". She's an amazing little girl who believes with all her heart that Daddy knew what he was doing and it wasn't just "for his ego".

I flipped through a globe magazine earlier this week because they had a picture of Steve. I never read tabloids or buy them but I wanted to see what it said. It ended up being something really stupid, but they had a supplememtal piece that showed some photos of Terri from a photo shoot. The photographer wanted to take some glamourous pictures of Terri. They were incredible. Very elegant with jewelry and hairstyles, elegant gowns. She said that Steve loved them. I will go back and see if it is still on the stands if anyone wants to see the photos. I couldn't find them online. Of course I think Terri is beautiful just naturally without any of that stuff, but it was fun to see them.

15
posted on 10/11/2006 6:24:05 AM PDT
by mom4kittys
(If velvet could sing, it would sound like Josh Groban)

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